Children in North Wales are being put at greater risk than elsewhere because the Welsh education body does not have the power to suspend teachers accused of serious offences, it has been claimed.

The Education Workforce Council has confirmed that since it was set up in 2015 there have been 10 referrals which could have seen the teachers involved stopped from working while investigations were carried out.

However, unlike elsewhere in the UK, the body does not have the power to suspend registration for teachers when serious allegations, such as child sex and indecent images offences, are made against them. Welsh Shadow Cabinet Secretary Darren Millar said that meant children were being put at unnecessary risk.

Conservative Mr Millar said: “It cannot be right that Welsh children are put at greater risk than children elsewhere in the UK.

“While I accept that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, teachers accused of serious offences against children should not be allowed to continue to work with pupils until an investigation has reached its conclusion.

“At present there is nothing to prevent teachers accused of child sex or pornography offences in Wales from advertising themselves as registered teachers available for supply work or private tuition - it’s completely unacceptable.

“The Education Workforce Council must be given the same powers as its counterparts in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to ensure that children in Wales are protected from unnecessary safeguarding risks.”

During a Children, Young People and Education Committee (CYPE) held in April, Mr Millar questioned the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Kirsty Williams AM, over the anomaly.

Ms Williams responded saying she had “no plans to change” the situation and affirmed her confidence in school governing bodies in being able to “act swiftly.”

Today, after receiving a Freedom of Information response which revealed the 10 referrals - Mr Millar added: “The Welsh Government’s complacency on this issue has got to end. Children here deserve the same levels of protection as those in other parts of the UK.

“I urge the Cabinet Secretary to move quickly to provide the Education Workforce Council with the powers and resources it needs to address this issue.”